Photo: WTOP
The Washington Capitals will close out their season series with the rival Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, EPSN+ out-of-market).
After Pittsburgh shut Washington out, 4-0, on opening night, Washington won 4-3 on January 2 and 6-0 on March 7 in the Steel City. Washington scored four unanswered goals before Pittsburgh responded with three straight of their own prior to Washington’s blowout win last month after the first game between the two teams. Washington is 10-7-4 (.585 points percentage) vs. Pittsburgh in the 2020s.
Schedule
Pittsburgh: ends four-game Metropolitan Division road trip (2-0-1 so far) and continues stretch where they go on the road for eight of nine (4-2-2)
Washington: continues stretch where they host seven of 10 games (3-3-1) after a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday, open set of back-to-backs with a trip to Raleigh to see the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday looming
How Each Team Is Doing
Pittsburgh: six-game point-streak (4-0-2) after going 3-9-1 over their previous 13
Washington: has lost three straight (0-2-1) since three-game winning-streak, stretch where they went 14-7-2 wrapped up
Standings
Pittsburgh: 34-30-11 (.527 points percentage — sixth in Metropolitan Division, 11th in Eastern Conference); three points behind Washington (who have a game in hand) for final wild-card spot and four back of Philadelphia Flyers (with one) for third place in Metropolitan Division; also trailing Detroit Red Wings (with both teams having played 75 games) by three, New York Islanders (75) by two in wild-card standings; lead Buffalo Sabres (with one) by two and New Jersey Devils (75) by three
Washington: 36-28-10 (.554 points percentage — third in Metropolitan Division, seventh in Eastern Conference)
Team Leaders
Crosby is tied for 12th in the NHL in goals and 13th in points. Letang and Carlson both rank among the league’s top-12 in time-on-ice.
Team Statistics
Both Pittsburgh and Washington are among the NHL’s worst-11 in goals. Pittsburgh’s power-play is better than only the Columbus Blue Jackets (14.4%) and Philadelphia (12.9%). Pittsburgh, who is the best faceoff team, ranks sixth in shots while Washington’s average bests only the San Jose Sharks (25.5).
Washington entered Wednesday 26th in Corsi, 25th in expected goals, 24th in scoring chances, and 25th in save percentage. Both teams shoot below the NHL average.
Expected Goalie Matchup
Nedeljkovic bests Kuemper, who made 32 saves in Washington’s 4-3 win at PPG Paints Arena in January, in every stat.
Injuries/Illnesses/Suspensions
Pittsburgh
- LW Matt Nieto (knee)
- C Jansen Harkins (hand)
- C Noel Acciari (lower-body)
Washington
- D Ethan Bear (NHLPA players assistance program)
- C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
- RW T.J. Oshie (undisclosed)
Projected Lines
Pittsburgh
Reilly Smith — Crosby — Bryan Rust
Michael Bunting — Evgeni Malkin — Rickard Rakell
Drew O’Connor — Lars Eller — Valtteri Puustinen
Jesse Puljujarvi — Jeff Carter — Emil Bemstrom
Pierre-Olivier Joseph — Letang
Marcus Pettersson — Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea — Jack St. Ivany
Nedeljkovic
Tristan Jarry
Scratched: D Ryan Graves, D John Ludvig
Washington
Ovechkin — Connor McMichael — Ivan Miroshnichenko
Sonny Milano — Strome — Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty — Hendrix Lapierre — Aliaksei Protas
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary — Carlson
Rasmus Sandin — Nick Jensen
Alexander Alexeyev — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched: RW Matthew Phillips, D Vinny Iorio
Betting Odds (BetMGM)
Pittsburgh: -110, Washington: -110
Over-under: 6 (-105 over, -115 under)
By Harrison Brown
You forgot 43 in your lineup
Thank you!
or maybe carbery is gonna do the right thing and healthy scratch the bum? I mean , even yesterday Wilson was saying it was an accident and didn’t feel like he deserved a suspension for intentionally swinging his stick at someone’s head. He’s a clown. I hope Rempe kicks his ass when they finally fight next year. I’ve lost all respect for the guy as a player. I pray he’s never our captain. Leaders don’t do that , and if they do, they own it. Tom has yet to own it and that’s unacceptable.
Figures you’re anonymous. I wouldn’t own such a stupid post, wither
look up the words “leader” and “accountability” please.
Thank you for saying that, what an idiot. Rempe couldn’t kick Wilson’s ass if he had someone helping him, so good luck with that. Anonymous, you should’ve put ‘dork’.
it’s okay…maybe i’m wrong…maybe you are. but at least i can understand respect
also, i said “i hope” which doesn’t mean i think he can or will. but since you clearly struggle with reading comprehension….
also, since you clearly can’t comprehend normal behavior, it doesn’t matter if wilson beat up rempe or rempe beat up wilson. That wouldn’t change the fact that wilson is an idiot and a poor leader.
It was an accident – watch the tape. Yes, it was his fault and yes suspension was warranted considering Wilson’s history. Dale Hunter did worse and was still one of the Cap’s great captains. Maybe you should move out of your parent’s basement and become a judge.
you can’t truly believe that with a big backswing and follow through, that he “ACCIDENTALLY” hit that dude with his stick…you can’t.
If I were you, I wouldn’t watch the game.
So Kuemper is expected in net today, Lindgren tomorrow?
Lindgren is the starter tonight per Tarik.
My guess is they’ll ride Chuck till the bitter end. He’s got low mileage on him, despite being 30 years old. Why not? Just push all your chips to the center. Go with what got you here.
Pittsburgh’s resurgence doesn’t surprise me at all. They are still a very good team and Crosby – regardless of his age, is still an absolutely elite player and, it appears, a compelling leader. I can’t say the same of our Ovi anymore. Still – the Caps often seem to save their best for the Penguins and I hope that is the case tonight.
They are not still a very good team. It’s just a mediocre mess in the middle of the Eastern Conference standings.
Pittsburgh isn’t doing themselves any favors. They’ve got about a 5% of making the playoffs. The worst case scenario for them is missing the playoffs, but ending up about 11-16 in draft order. Then San Jose would get their 1st round pick, which is Top Ten protected, due to the Karlsson trade.
The Athletic’s Josh Yohe wrote an in depth analysis of the feasibility of a rebuild for the Pengwhines. He said it’ll be difficult for the time being, due to the many NTCs and NMCs they have. They’re too talented to tank, not talented enough to make the playoffs. They’re stuck in the mushy middle till about 5 years from now.
“They’re too talented to tank, not talented enough to make the playoffs. They’re stuck in the mushy middle till about 5 years from now.”
ummmmm, have you been watching the caps since 2018??
Yeah clown, but the difference between the Caps and Pengwhines is the Caps already have their youth movement in progress. They lost their Top 2 centers in a few months, and replaced them with 2 NHL ready prospects. They’ve moved about 5 NHL ready kids into prime roles, this season. That’s not even counting Ryan Leonard, who may be the most clutch prospect not playing pro hockey.
Try reading some NHL themed hockey sites, instead of trolling. Educate yourself. You might learn something.
Pits will be very interesting this summer. Not seeing a lot of calls for Sullivan’s firing. Maybe even less than Dubas calls. I am finding Sid’s name in most of the “who needs a new team this summer” articles. So those writers feel that Pits’ suffering won’t be over quickly.
I like that the Caps were forced to begin an evaluation and integration of youth. I wish we had done it last year under Lavi.
I for one have never said Anon posts or posters are worthless. However, it’s hard to hold a conversation when one Anon post is immediately contradicted by a second Anon post because it’s two different people using the same handle. It’s not hard to get a pen name and if you’re going to post regularly, I think you should not stay Anon.
Can I stay “Anon Y. Mouse”? I’m trying to inject a little humor into the situation, and confuse the inattentive. But people should know that Anon Y. Mouse is always gonna be one person.
I’ve seen Crosby in some of those change of scenery articles too. Hey, here a thigh slapper: July 1, 2025, Crosby signs a contract with…..the Washington Capitals! So he can assist on Ovi’s record breaking goal! Ha ha ha…he…..he…..yeah well, it’s fun to think about….
Somehow I don’t think Toronto could survive that. Could either fan base?
We have had Pits coaches and players and have benefited from them. And Sid is a potent center which some writers say Ovi needs. But, somehow . . .
I think your handle is quite clever.
I read that article and was very surprised at all the NTCs and NMCs. Very. I guess if Sid leaves and the team makes it clear that it will be a complete rebuild, some of those restrictions might be lifted as older players won’t want to hang around.
I read an apt description once. Playoffs are heaven, high draft choices are hell, but in the middle is purgatory. Those draft choices might get you out of hell, but purgatory can be forever.
Here are the 11 NHL teams that have never won the Stanley Cup.
Buffalo Sabres
Vancouver Canucks
San Jose Sharks
Florida Panthers
Arizona Coyotes
Nashville Predators
Winnipeg Jets
Minnesota Wild
Columbus Blue Jackets
Ottawa Senators (1992 incarnation)
Seattle Kraken
Toronto, home of the HoF and NHL hasn’t won it since 1967.
nhl ready and able to win consistently and compete for the cup remain to be seen. and leonard MAY be a good nhl player, we don’t know yet. you’ve already anointed him, which is wishful thinking. i like his talent and heart and style, but he’s never played a pro game…
I never said anything about competing for the Cup, clown, I said they started a youth movement, which puts them several years ahead of the Pengwhines. The Pens, who I believe are the oldest team in the league, are stuck with the same broken down vets who missed the playoffs last year, will miss the playoffs again this year, and for the foreseeable future, with no real chance at rebuilding, due to all the NMCs, and NTCs. And win consistently? Most prognisticators picked the Penguins to make the playoffs this year, and the Caps to be in the bottom 4th of the league. The Caps have already exceeded expectations. The Pens will finish below them.
I guess you don’t follow college hockey, so let me fill you in. Leonard’s highly touted teammates like Will Smith, and Cutter Gauthier, didn’t come out too strong in the first couple of games of the NCAA tournament. Leonard literally put the team on his back, with six points in two games. He willed his team to victory.
Try a couple of things before you respond to me: learn reading comprehension, and watch some hockey. I don’t have time to correct your vast ignorance.
penguins 4 caps 1…hmmm. and that’s college hockey and the other team had to shut down one line so maybe just maybe leonards line had favorable matchups? try a couple things for me: 1. stop being a twat 2. please don’t have children because we need fewer people like you on this planet. good day
btw, I love how the masses believe that if someone chooses to remain anonymous on here, that they are living in their parents basement and their thoughts and opinions are worthless….you people….
aww, just get out of your parent’s basement already.
The Caps were reported to be in pursuit of Collin Graf, the most sought after college free agent. Our old friends the Rags and Pengwhines were allegedly also in the hunt. So he ends up signing with….San Jose. Yikes. Guess he wanted a gig with guaranteed ice time. Hope you like red lights, brah. You’re gonna see a lot of them…behind your own goalie.
College free agents should be examined in context. He’s 21 and in the ECAC; this is no great loss.
The sources I read report he’s NHL ready. And he played on last year’s national champion. He could have helped the Caps.
Pronman scouting report:
“Graf, The Athletic’s top college, CHL or European free agent, was a major part of Quinnipiac’s NCAA title run last spring and has been a top player in the country again this season. He has a ton of offensive talent and has the potential to score in the NHL. He is a very skilled puckhandler who skates well and can create on the move like a pro. He sees the ice well, can run a power play with quick decisions and has a good shot.
Graf’s game can lack physicality at times and stick too much to the perimeter, which is my only concern about him, but I wouldn’t call him soft or a low-compete type. He is a player a lot of NHL teams were interested in, and he could be a legit middle-six wing in the league. — Corey Pronman, senior NHL writer”
That’s fair and I may just be skeptical of older undrafted college players.
Who would you have pushed out of the lineup? Even with his resume I have a hard time believing he’d play over Lapierre.
I’d have sent him to Hershey actually. He could’ve been a Top 2 center there, along with Huntington, and could have learned the pro game, with a deep playoff run, then compete for a spot on the Caps next year. I think that’s probably why he signed with SJ. Cuz they guaranteed him an NHL spot right away.
Hershey recalled Bjorklund from North Charleston.
The Caps’ season of futility. It was fun for a couple of weeks ….
Season can’t end fast enough. Choke. Futility. Stupidity. Sorta like the 1979 Caps
I’m ready to “move on” from #26 …. Supposed to be magnificent. He has just plain $ukked for weeks. Gimme a young and hungry Bear
GAWD what a miserable game, last 5 games for the Wa$hington Crapital$